Additional Resources

Dr. Seldomridge's Class - 2012

Your task today is to figure why I am like I
am

√ Walk-think about these things while you observe me
What do I have?
What happened? What caused this?
Was I born like this?
How long have I been like this?
Medications?
Complications?
Rehab?
Surgeries?
Does it get better or worse?
Other questions?

My Background:TopGraduate
from college in 1977-undergraduate in Industrial Personnel PsychologyWent
to work in the WV coal mines in 1976-Worked underground for 15 years.Worked
as a Personnel Director for Eastern Associated Coal for 2 yearsWent
back to college in 1988 and acquired my Bachelors Degree in Social
Studies Education and Special Education-Fairmont State University-Also
achieved my MA in Counseling at WVU.Went
to work in Higher Education in 1992 as an Admissions Counselor-Fairmont
State University-then was the Director of Career Services-FSUMoved
to Salisbury in 1997.
-I am now 55 years old!3
children-one has graduated with her MSW and have twins in college now-graduating
in May.
I am a grandfather as of this past Halloween.

With 247,000 Americans currently living with a spinal cord
injury, and approx. 11,000 injuries occurring each year, daily
routines such as driving a car or walking down a flight of stairs, can
unexpectedly result in a life changing injury with physical and
lifestyle constraints. For the past 20 years, the number of injuries per
million has remained stable at 40 incidents per million.

Children make up 5% of persons living with a spinal cord injury, which
is usually the result of a traffic accident or fall. A much higher
percentage group is the young adults. They, mostly male, make up 78.2%
of Americans living with a spinal cord injury. Although, the average
age this injury occurs has been increasing. In the 1970ís the average
age was 28.6 years. Currently, the average is at 38 years. This is
largely due to the greater number of injuries occurring in persons over
the age of 60.

Most frequent category at time of discharge is incomplete
quadriplegia (34.3%), followed by complete paraplegia (25.1%), complete
quadriplegia (22.1%), and incomplete paraplegia (17.5%). A study by
Maynard showed that individuals with incomplete paraplegia or
tetraplegia have higher rates of improvement in motor function.Quadriplegia,
also known as tetraplegia, is a symptom in which a human experiences
paralysis affecting all four limbs, although not necessarily total
paralysis or loss of function.Paraplegia
is an impairment in motor and/or sensory function of the lower
extremities.

Another study done by Maynard shows that 87% of patients with
incomplete motor function and 47% of patients with incomplete sensory
function at 72 hours after time of injury, recovered the ability to walk
within the year.

Motor vehicle crashes and traffic accidents, at 50.4%, are the
leading causes of spinal cord injury. Injuries caused by falls come in
second at 23.8% while the rest follows with: violent acts (primarily
gunshot wounds) at 11.2% and sports activities at 9%. However, there
seems to be a decrease in work related injuries and an increase of
injuries caused by sports and recreational activities.

The location of the injury. In general, injuries that are higher
in your spinal cord produce more paralysis. For example, a spinal cord
injury at the neck level may cause paralysis in both arms and legs and
make it impossible to breathe without a respirator, while a lower injury
may affect only your legs and lower parts of your body. The severity of the injury. Spinal cord injuries are classified
as partial or complete, depending on how much of the cord width is
damaged.

In a partial spinal cord injury, which may also be called an
incomplete injury, the spinal cord is able to convey some messages to or
from your brain. So people with partial spinal cord injury retain some
sensation and possibly some motor function below the affected area.

A complete spinal cord injury is defined by total or near-total
loss of motor function and sensation below the area of injury. However,
even in a complete injury, the spinal cord is almost never completely
cut in half. Doctors use the term "complete" to describe a large amount
of damage to the spinal cord. It's a key distinction because many people
with partial spinal cord injuries are able to experience significant
recovery, while those with complete injuries are not.

Spinal cord injuries of any kind may result in one or more of the
following signs and symptoms:

Pain or an intense stinging sensation caused by damage to the nerve
fibers in your spinal cord Loss of movement Loss of sensation, including the ability to feel heat, cold and touch
Loss of bowel or bladder control Exaggerated reflex activities or spasms Changes in sexual function, sexual sensitivity and fertility Difficulty breathing, coughing or clearing secretions from your lungs

Emergency signs and symptoms
-Emergency signs and symptoms of spinal cord injury after a head injury
or accident may include:

Fading in and out of consciousness Extreme back pain or pressure in your neck, head or back Weakness,
loss of coordination or paralysis in any part of your body Numbness, tingling or loss of sensation in your hands, fingers, feet or
toes Loss of bladder or bowel control Difficulty with balance and walking Impaired breathing after injuryAn oddly positioned or twisted neck or back